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37 Composers Nominated for 2018 British Composer Awards

The nominations for the 2018 British Composer Awards have been announced by BASCA and PRS for Music.

The Awards recognise works by a composer born in UK or ordinarily resident in the UK. Works must have received a UK premiere between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018. A total of 37 composers have been nominated across 12 categories, selected from a total of 560 submissions.

Works nominated include Tanz/haus: triptych 2017 by James Dillon, which will be given its London premiere at the recently announced SoundState Festival; Emily Peasgood’s Halfway to Heaven, an interactive installation in a Baptist burial ground; Conall Gleeson’s Solace, written for the New Note Orchestra and which explores the experience of drug and alcohol addiction; and Thomas Adès‘ The Exterminating Angel, an opera based on the 1962 Luis Bunuel film of the same name.

2018 was the first year the judging process was anonymous. Of the shortlisted works, 10 are by female composers (27%), and 51% of the composers are under 40 and are first-time nominees.

See the full list of nominated works below.

The award ceremony will take place on 4 December at the British Museum, presented by broadcasters Andrew McGregor and Sara Mohr-Pietsch, and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on 9 December. The ceremony will feature a performance in memory of Oliver Knussen, who passsed away in July this year, and the presentation of two additional awards, the British Composer Award for Innovation, and the British Composer Award for Inspiration.

Community or Educational ProjectWorks demonstrating a composer’s work in community engagement alongside compositional craftSolace – Conall GleesonThe Rime of the Ancient Mariner- a retelling for our times – Dee IsaacsThe Umbrella – Liam Taylor-West

Jazz Composition for Small EnsembleUp to eight instruments or voices that contain interactive improvisation as an essential elementClose to Ecstasy – Simon LaskyVegetarians – Ivo NeameYou’ve Got to Play the Game – Johnny Richards